Chih Hung Lo obtained his Ph.D. from University of Minnesota where he investigated the molecular mechanisms of inflammation (TNF receptor signaling) and neurodegeneration (tau aggregation) and launched several drug discovery campaigns. In his postdoctoral trainings, Chih Hung delved into the neurobiology of aging by utilizing mouse genetics to study Alzheimer’s disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School and performed neuropathological studies on multiple sclerosis at Yale School of Medicine. Prior to joining Syracuse University, Chih Hung was a Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellow in Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University Singapore, where he investigated the role of autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Chih Hung is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Syracuse University.

The Lo Lab investigates how autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction, driven by inflammatory cytokine receptor signaling (e.g., TNF receptor signaling), lipid dysregulation (e.g., obesity), and intrinsically disordered proteins (e.g., tau aggregation), contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration as well as mediate body-brain interaction. To advance translational research, we combine interdisciplinary approaches to explore the structure-function relationship of TNF receptors and the conformational dynamics of tau protein. This knowledge is applied to biosensor engineering and high-throughput screening for drug discovery. We also have a keen interest in nanomedicine engineering for brain targeting. Our goal is to uncover new disease mechanisms and identify novel therapies targeting inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders with strong potential for clinical translation.

Neurobiology of aging, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, body-brain interaction, intrinsically disordered proteins, lysosome biology, receptor signaling, protein biophysics, biosensor engineering, nanobiotechnology, drug discovery

• Lo CH* (2025) TNF receptors: structure-function relationships and therapeutic targeting strategies. BBA Biomembranes, 1867(1):184394.
• Asimakidou E, Saipuljumri EN, Lo CH, Zeng J (2025) Role of metabolic dysfunction and inflammation along the liver-brain axis in animal models with obesity-induced neurodegeneration. Neural Regeneration Research, 20(4):1069.
• Zeng J, Loi GWZ, Saipuljumri EN, Silva-García O, Pérez-Aguilar JM, Romero Durán MA, Baizabal-Aguirre VM*, Lo CH* (2024) Peptide-based allosteric inhibitor targets TNFR1 conformationally active region and disables receptor-ligand signaling complex. PNAS, 121(14):e2308132121.
• Asimakidou E, Reynolds R, Barron AM, Lo CH* (2024) Autolysosomal acidification impairment as a mediator for TNFR1 induced neuronal necroptosis in Alzheimer’s disease. Neural Regeneration Research, 19(9):1869.
• Lo CH*, O’Connor LM, Loi GWZ, Saipuljumri EN, Indajang J, Lopes KM, Shirihai OS, Grinstaff MW, Zeng J* (2024). Acidic nanoparticles restore lysosomal acidification and rescue metabolic dysfunction in pancreatic β-cells under lipotoxic condition. ACS Nano, 3c09206.
• Asimakidou E, Tan JKS, Zeng J*, Lo CH* (2024) Blood-brain barrier targeting nanoparticles: biomaterial properties and biomedical applications in translational neuroscience, Pharmaceuticals, 17(5):612.
• Zeng J, Acin-Perez R, Assali EA, Martin A, Petcherski A, Xiao R, Lo CH, Shum M, Liesa-Roig M, Han X, Shirihai O, Grinstaff MW (2023). Restoration of lysosomal acidification rescues autophagy and metabolic dysfunction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Nature Communications, 14(1):2573.
• Quick JD, Silva C, Wong JH, Lim KL, Reynolds R, Barron AM, Zeng J*, Lo CH* (2023) Lysosomal acidification dysfunction in microglia: an emerging pathogenic mechanism of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 20:185.
• Lo CH* & Zeng J* (2023) Defective lysosomal acidification: a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases. Translational Neurodegeneration, 12(1):1.
• O’Connor LM, O’Connor BA, Lim SB, Zeng J, Lo CH* (2023) Integrative multi-omics and systems bioinformatics in translational neuroscience: A data mining perspective. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 13(8):836.
• Pitt D, Lo CH, Gauthier SA, Hickman R, Longbrake E, Airas L, Riley C, De Jager PL, Wesley S, Boster A, Topalli I, Mansoor M, Stuve O, Kister I, Pelletier D, Dutta R, Lincoln M (2022) Towards precision phenotyping of multiple sclerosis. Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, 9(6):e200025.
• Lo CH* (2021) Recent advances in cellular biosensor technology to investigate tau oligomerization. Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, e10231.
• Lo CH, Huber EC, Sachs JN (2020) Conformational states of TNFR1 as a molecular switch for receptor function. Protein Science, 9(6):1401.
• Lo CH, Schaaf TM, Grant BD, Lim CK-W, Bawaskar P, Aldrich CC, Thomas DD, Sachs JN (2019) Noncompetitive inhibitors of TNFR1 probe conformational activation states. Science Signaling, 12(592):eaav5637.
• Lo CH, Lim CK-W, Ding Z, Wickramasinghe SP, Braun AR, Ashe KH, Rhoades E, Thomas DD, Sachs JN (2019) Targeting the ensemble of heterogeneous tau oligomers in cells: A novel small molecule screening platform for tauopathies. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 15(11):1489.

• BBA Rising Stars in Biochemistry & Biophysics (2024)
• Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2021-2024)
• Mistletoe Research Fellowship, Momental Foundation, USA (2022-2023)
• Development Grant, National University of Singapore (2020-2021)
• Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota, USA (2018-2019)